Monday, 26 January 2015

Hi guys, if you're not subscribed to my YouTube Channel, you may not be aware that I have recently been away to New Jersey and a few surrounding states the past couple of weeks, I've uploaded three vlogs of the experience and I wanted to share them and a few snaps I took on my trip on my blog! My USA Haul is coming tomorrow!!

Friday, 9 January 2015

I departed 2014 with a review of the coveted Lorac Pro - a palette I've been cooing over since summer, however seeing as January tends to be the month of austerity, I thought I'd kick my budget-friendly month off with a limited edition offering from Soap & Glory - The Perfect 10.

Hi guys - I'm currently away at the moment and brought the wrong SD Card with my photos of this palette on! I wanted to get this post up ASAP as it is limited edition so I am using - for now - the image from Soap & Glory's website.

Let me start off by saying that this palette is limited edition - but the colours are available in their quads all year round, so if there is a particular shadow you like and Boots shelves are bare then I'd scout the permanent collection. The 10 shades picked for the palette can cater to a multitude of looks, from light and matte to sparkly and smokey. As the title suggests, there are 10 shades - with a 3:7 matte:shimmer ratio.

Vanilla: As you would expect and what most palettes contain, this is your light matte all-over-the-lid shade. It's leaning towards the yellowy side of things and is a staple for a lot of looks.

Minky: This is a pink/champagne shimmery colour which is one of those beauts which can be a great stand alone, quick wash of colour shade or could work well as part of a look and really brighten things up.

Pink T: This is Minky's matte counterpart, and the transition shade in the palette. This is a lovely shade to blend out the crease.

Aubersheen: By the title of this shade you'd think it would be purpley - but it isn't. It's a browny taupey, pewtery type shade which is fab for both a daytime wash or an amped up evening.

Gold Coast: This is a yellow based, almost antique-esque gold. Another shade which would be subtle but bright in the daytime, or be a great base for a heavier, smokier look.

Taupe Cat: If I were to pick holes in this palette I would say this colour is quite similar to Aubersheen, but that being said it is lighter so the two could work well together, and it still is a really nice shade!

Sunset: Sunset is a burnt orange, coppery type shade. If paired with Gold Coast I think the two would look great on blue eyes!

Brownie: As the name suggests, this is a brown shimmery shade. Great to deepen a smokey eye or run through the bottom lash line.

Black Gold: The last matte in the palette, this is a cool, mid-toned grey. I think this shade is a bit of a different shade and could work well in the crease or even at the lash line!

Smokin': And finally number ten - a dark glittery shade, although when swatched I don't think the glitter really shows up but this would work great paired with other brighter shades such as Sunset!

Not a single shadow is a dud, in fact all are blendable, buttery joys to wear. I think would be a great dependable palette which many would turn to when stuck for ideas. My gripes? Well, that it's limited is one of them but also the packaging is sturdy enough but the rubbish included brush means it makes the palette bigger which I wish they would have omitted like they do with their quads - a small gripe, but a gripe all the same. If I were you I'd be scouring the shelves of either flagship stores or quieter out of town Boots to get this puppy whilst you still can. Soap & Glory have a limited range of gift sets all year round so I am keeping my fingers crossed that it makes a permanent stay on the shelves. Now, back to my big bold statement in the title of this post - the coveted Lorac Pro Palette is something few of us brits get the pleasure to have in our stash but I do think this is a reputable dupe - hear me out: sure, there are way more mattes in the Lorac, and there aren't any shades comparable to Garnet and Deep Purple, but that aside there are many comparable shades, Sunset/Gold, Taupe Cat/ Lt Bronze just to name two. And look at that packaging? I can't have been the only one to see this? Your thoughts on the matter will be greatly appreciated in the comments!

Friday, 2 January 2015

This month I thought I'd skip my little monthly Instagram update and instead post my new year's resolutions - a post I did last year which you can have a goosey gander at here. I hope the first couple of days of 2015 weren't too hard for you, and that you have a great year in front of you! So, resolutions, of course I want to eat better, exercise more and drink more water like most - but I thought I'd go into depth about things which I think will make both me and my blog better and more productive in the new year!

Go To Bed On Time

My Mum's excuse for anything ever going wrong is that you're tired - a sentiment which is ringing ever true at the grand old age of 21. Am I currently typing this up at 3am - why yes, yes I am, something I'm not particularly proud of, but honestly quite used to, and a big habit I need to kick. I'm currently caught in a vicious cycle of tiredness and naps and insomnia which leaves me irritable and unproductive at best. I work shift work and my shifts can start at 6:30am and finish at 9:30pm so getting myself into a routine is tricky, but not impossible and there's no excuse! I'm a night owl, I know I am, but after my trip overseas I'm going to kick jetlag's butt and get back on Greenwich Mean.

Go The Extra Mile

Probably very much linked to my first point, I've found myself cutting corners in a few aspects of my life which I'm not okay with. I haven't included close-ups in my videos in some time and I know I'm lazy with the little things to do with my blog but I know it's the little things that matter and separate the wheat from the chaff - and I don't want to be chaff! Going the extra mile and stop being so slapdash I think will make me a lot prouder of what content I create and hopefully it will reach a few more people too! Basically, I'm trying to avoid that piss poor performance your quirky teacher was always going on about, after all if something's worth doing, do it properly.

Scream & Shout

The two year mark of this blog existing very recently just passed, and I can safely say starting this thing was one of the best decisions I've ever made, I love putting my 'tips to 'board and sharing my musings, even if it is about lipsticks and eyeliners. I like what I do, and I'd like other people to like it too, but I don't know whether it's my British modesty, laziness or a mixture of the two but I rarely out my blog/channel out there and the internet is a big old place so I can't expect the entire world to stumble upon my page, can I? I'm going to actively use a few more hashtags, and use my social media a little more to promote my blog, because after all, I am proud of it!

Get Organised

Getting a good night's sleep is only half the battle - I need to be on it, get organised and stick to my self enforced regimen. I'm currently waiting it out to get a 2015 diary on sale, because I think taking pen to actual paper makes you re-enforce dates and deadlines in your brain just that little bit more. If i want something, I need to work for it and giving myself a reasonable schedule I think I will be more productive!

Spend Less & Sample More

My beauty obsession started in 2012 when I subscribed to a beauty box service, fast forward to 2015 I've got a set of Alex Drawers (and I'm sure my boyfriend would argue an entire flat) brimming with beauty products. I never spend out of my means, but when I sit back and look at my stash I know I need to start using more than I buy to warrant it. That all being said, there are still a bunch of brands I'm dying to try out. So I've devised a little plan for myself. Alternating beauty buying months, allowing me to fuel my passion whilst being able to revisit old favourites and use up all those samples I have lying around! I cleared out my stash before I moved in but I think I'm going to give it another go in a couple of months and be brutal once more! During 'buying' months I plan to focus on a certain brand that I haven't tried yet, ones that immediately come to mind and Louise Young and Lime Crime, but trust me there are many, many more!

Get Inspired

I feel 2014 left me in a bit of a fashion rut. I think I became lazy with my style and feel like I need to amp things up a bit with a bit of thought. I think I'm going to put a capsule wardrobe/looks (potential video?) but also when I see a look or a pairing of certain things together I'm going to take a picture/screenshot and make a little fashpo inspiration which I'll pop on my currently, very baron Pinterest! Speaking of Pinterest, I do plan to use it more this year because it seems like a great platform, I just need to get into it, you know? Here's a few of my favourite fashionistas to get you started: Jenn Im, The Line Up and Claire Marshall!

So - here's to 2015! Whatever your plans and ambitions for the year ahead are, I wholeheartedly hope you make it all happen! Let's see what happens!!